


Easily Disposable

by Aramirandme81



Category: The Almighty Johnsons
Genre: AU, Depression, Dysfunctional Family, Gen, Young Johnsons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-22
Updated: 2014-01-22
Packaged: 2018-01-09 14:35:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1147136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aramirandme81/pseuds/Aramirandme81
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Work inspired by Elenhin's Garbage Disposal Unit. (which you should read, it's good)</p>
<p>Val and Anders have never seen eye to eye. But this time she’s done something Anders cannot forgive and they’ve rowed resulting in Anders storming off leaving the others uncomfortable but not particularly worried, because Anders will be back he always is...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Easily Disposable

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Elenhin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elenhin/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Garbage Disposal Unit](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1067191) by [Elenhin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elenhin/pseuds/Elenhin). 



> As I said in the summary this work is inspired by the lovely Elenhin’s work: Garbage Disposal Unit. Which you should read, not only because this fic takes of right where that left us, but because it’s a really fine piece of work.   
> But then Elenhin is a talented little Dwarf (yes I get to call her that) so it’s hardly a wonder that she should do good fic, which she does and lots of it to my great joy.  
> Anyway on with the fic!

Anders is so worked up when he leaves that his shoulders shake with anger and suppressed emotion, and not even moving at a pace that is more akin to jogging than walking will make the tremors stop.

His eyes feel itchy and moist, and though he will deny it if anyone asks him, privately he will admit that it’s tears as much as anger that’s clouding his vision.

The rain that had been pouring down when he’d left was still going strong, and Anders had a fleeting mental image of old man Noah wondering if he should have started work on that ark he and God have been discussing a little earlier. 

It certainly felt like an impending flood to Anders.

He’d left the house in such a huff that not only had he done so without his jacket but also without putting on a pair of shoes, so he’d felt the road go from ‘wet’ to ‘swimming’ through the by now drenched fabric of his socks. Though by now his exposure to the cold wind and the equally cold water, meant that he was slowly loosing most of the feeling in his feet. It should worry him he knew, and in some distant corner of his mind it did, but mostly he was just glad because walking for hours like that had made his feet ache something fierce. 

It seemed a bit stupid now, walking out like that.

Oh not the walking out in itself, he would stand by that decision. Heck he even sort of wished he’d done it sooner, but he would have liked to have brought his bag. And he certainly would have liked to have his shoes and jacket.

But it was too late now, and he’d be damned if he was going back there.

 

Tammy dying had hurt, it always did when one of the fish died, and Tammy had been a bit of a favourite so it just hurt that much more that it had been her. Then Val had just thrown her away like so much trash...   
Anders had to wipe at his eyes again, at the image of the little body disappearing down the drain and the sound of the unit as it mangled her poor corpse, her bones snapping and her flesh being torn by the grinders, blood flowing...

Anders blinked and gulped rapidly for a few seconds then he gave up and turned to the side of the road, bend over and heaved, throwing up until there was nothing left but bile and even then the images would not leave him. 

But the worst part, Anders decided as he wiped his mouth on his bare arm, the worst hadn’t been that Val had done it, or even that she hadn’t understood that Anders fish was important to him and that they had been living beings damn it, not the worst was that none of the others had said anything to help him or to tell her she was wrong. He’d long since accepted that he and Val would never see eye to eye and that she had no positive emotions towards him other than she appreciated his skill at cleaning, but he had thought he meant enough to ... well to Ty at least that he would have said something. He’d genuinely though Ty had understood about his fish, but no apparently not. 

 

Anders had been feeling the urge to leave ‘home’ since before he was tall enough to open the door. In fact, he had run away the moment he’d been strong enough and steady enough on his feet to pull over the stool, climb onto it to reach the handle to open the door. 

He’d not made it all that far though, since he’d only been three at the time and therefore had headed for the first ‘nice’ place that came to mind which had been the neighbour’s doghouse.   
Dad had come to ask old man Pete if he could get Sally to track his missing child down for him and of course he’d said yes calling Sally over and had her sniff some of Anders cloths. They’d been very confused when the widely known best tracker and keenest hunter had simply turned around and gone back into her dog house. They’d called her out twice more and both times she repeated the action until Pete finally caught a clue and took a look in the dog house where sure enough Anders had been sleeping soundly on the dog blanket. 

Dad had tried to reach in and get him, but Sally, for the first time in her life, according to old Pete, had growled and showed all her teeth even going so far as to snap her jaws at dad. Not even Pete himself was allowed near the boy that was clearly under Sally’s protection. 

This had woken Anders who’d refused to come out for either dad or old Pete, in the end it had been Mike that had gotten him out with a promise that no one was mad and that Anders could sleep in Mike’s bed the entire weekend if only he came out. 

Anders himself had only wage memories of the incident, but old Pete had been fond of the tail and had told it many times, especially the part where Sally had actually taken a nip out of dad’s pants when he’d been about to go back on his promise and scold Anders. But then old Pete had always trusted animals more than humans, so when Sally chose to appoint herself Anders’ guardian, he’d been behind her and he’d welcomed Anders into his house, or doghouse if he preferred that, many a time over the next many years. 

 

So yeah, running away? Not a new thing for Anders.

What happened tonight? It was just another straw added to the load of crap, neglect and abuse he’d taken through the years, but it was the famous last one. 

This time he was not heading for a doghouse, and even if he had been he was not going to let Mike or anyone else coax him out. 

This time he was leaving for good.

 

Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he needed to get as far away from Auckland as he could in a hurry if he wanted to get away, like if only he could get far enough away fast enough then everything would be alright. But to get far enough away he needed a few things, chief among which was cash.

With that though firmly planted in his mind, Anders straightened up and started walking again, this time with a clear purpose in mind. 

He knew what he had to do.

 

******

 

To say that the mood had soured once Anders had left would be an understatement.

No one had really felt like eating and had more or less just poked at their portion until Val had given up on getting anything resembling normality and had cleared the table. There had been no mention of dessert.

And not even Axl had complained that he’d been promised ice cream.

But then Axl had been busy clinging to Mike or Ty all evening and had fought to stay up late and wait for Anders until Mike had agreed that Axl could stay up for an extra hour. 

Ty hadn’t said anything one way or another but he’d been constantly turning his head towards the window where they rain keep drumming as if hoping to see Anders come walking back. 

At one point Axl had expressed his worry that Anders might drown if the rain kept falling like it was.

A comment that had made Mike frown, both because the amount of rain really was quite alarming and because it had made Val snort and mumble something that Mike, if he hadn’t known her better could have sworn was ‘Not that lucky,’ and not as she said when asked ‘he’s not that unlucky’.

 

Mike got out his accounts and started doing the monthly balancing even if it was almost a week early, a poor excuse to stay up late perhaps but a valid one at least even if it caused Val to give him a look of, and this time he was certain, utter disapproval of what she thought of as indulging Anders in his ‘fit’ as she’d called it when they had briefly discussed it. Well discussed might be a bit much for what was really Mike saying that maybe Val could have handled that a bit better and then Val accusing Mike of mollycoddling Anders when he had been the one in the wrong with his behaviour. Mike had wanted to say more but Val had gone back into the living room before he could, both Ty and Axl was in there and Mike didn’t want to get into an argument with Val in front of them. They’d seen plenty of that tonight and in their young lives in general, Mike was not going to add to it if he could help it. 

 

Naturally Axl had pleaded more time when his hour was up but this time Val and Mike both stood firm and he was sent to bed.

Ty stayed up though, since Axl had gotten an extra hour he should be allowed one too, and really who could reason against that?

Val had gone to bed half an hour earlier than usual though claiming she was fatigued from the ‘mood’ they were in for no reason in her opinion.

“Really, why you bother to sit there I don’t know. We all know he’s going to come back tomorrow being sick and feeling sorry for himself for it, when he could have just stayed here and be dry and warm. You know I’m right.” She’d stated and when Mike had refused to do more than hum a non committing sound as reply she’d gone to bed.

Half an hour later Ty’s time was up and though he didn’t kick up a fuss like Axl had, he sent the window a very telling look.

Despite knowing it was useless Mike spend the rest of the night half heartedly doing the books hoping against hope and his own instincts that Anders would come creeping in some time during the small hours. He never did though, and it was with a tired face that he meet Ty’s hopeful one in the morning.

“Maybe he’ll be at school.” Mike suggested and packed Ty an extra big lunch just in case he’d get to share it with Anders. When he went to put it into Ty’s bag he could see Ty had hoped the same, because he’d packed a plastic bag with a change of clothes for Anders.

Mike was smiling until he turned around and caught Ty looking slightly more worried than before.

“Ty?”

“Don’t tell Val?” Ty pleaded and Mike was too shocked to do more than nod then Ty and Axl was out the door to catch the bus.

The strange request for secrecy was unsettling in several ways.

First of the fact that Ty felt it was best Val didn’t know that he thought of his brothers well being and dignity by bringing him cloths, second was the fact that it was strangely reminiscent of all the times the brothers had had to work behind their parents backs to get something for one of their siblings that was being punished for something, especial the times where the punishment really hadn’t been warranted or was deeply unfair. 

To see Val cast in the role of ‘oppressor’ rather than loving spouse hit Mike hard. 

He tried his best to dismiss the though and the feelings it brought though. ‘Surely it was only because Anders had yet to show that Ty felt so worried and he’d only over reacted and Mike in turn over interpreted the action? Yes that must be it.’ Mike assured himself and went to work with the firm belief that this had been the case and that Anders would be there when Mike got home from work no doubt feeling poorly and going to be sick for a week straight. Mike made a mental note to stop off and by cold meds on his way home.

 

************

 

It was surprisingly easy for Anders to get to use the phone at the first place he went in, a little al night café where the bored waitress fussed over him getting him a towel, and once she’d had a few words with the cook and bust boy also a free hot meal, tea and a clean dry set of truly miss matched clothes all of which she insisted he take before she’d let him use the phone.

 

Allan answered on the second ring.

“llo´?”

“Please tell me I didn’t wake you?”

“*snort* Why? Are you concerned about my beauty sleep? I knew you wanted to jump my bones you kinky bastard.”

“Hell no, though you could use all the beauty sleep you can possibly get, it’s just that you are absolutely useless the first hour after you wake.”

“Up yours Johnson.” Allan answered though he sounded cheerful about it.

“No, seriously Allan I need your help.” Anders voice let his friend know something was up and that Anders was being serious.

“What do you need?” Allan asked serious and ready to do what was needed whatever that may be. Anders could feel himself choke up at the thought of leaving such a friend behind.

“You remember that ‘contingency plan’ we talked about? I’m putting it into effect.”

“..... shit. Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. Just...make sure to wait at least two days okay?”

“I’ll do my bloody best mate, now where are you? Because I don’t think you’d be calling me about this from home. I’ll ‘borrow’ the pickup and come get you.”

“Thanks mate.” Anders said and gave the address which caused Allan to ask how he’d gotten all the way out there.

“Walked, which reminds me, any chance you could throw a pair of shoes in? My feet are killing me.”

“You are a bloody loon Ands’. One pair of shoes coming up. Now hang up so I can go steal my dad’s pickup.” 

 

**********

 

No Anders hadn’t been at school.

No Anders wasn’t there when any of them got home.

But according to Ty he had been there because he’d left the drawers open this morning and now they were closed.

“He’s at that friend of his place then.” Val had said trying to get Axl to calm down. 

“Allan’s?” Axl asked seeming to calm a little.

“Yes him. We’ll call there if he’s not here by supper okay?”

Axl didn’t seem quite sold but eventually agreed when he sensed that Val wasn’t going to offer him anything better.

 

Supper time came and went, still no Anders, so Mike with the help of Ty found Allan’s number in Anders notebook.

 

“You have summoned the great and powerful Oz, speak oh mortal one. Let Oz hear your troubles.” Was the cheerful answer he got.

“.... Errr... Is this Allan?”

“Allan is my alias in this mortal realm yes, who’s this?”

“Mike Johnson, Anders’ brother?”

There was a long silence then the voice of Allan came back, but it wasn’t anywhere near cheerful anymore.

“What do you want?” 

The biting tone made Mike certain, that if nothing else this was the right Allan and his brother had spoken to him.

“I’m looking for Anders, is he with you?”

“No.”

“Have you seen him?”

“A million times.”

“Today I mean.”

“No.”

“Have you spoken to him.”

Mike could hear Allan draw breath and pre-empted his answer.

“Today I mean.” 

“No.”

“So you don’t know where he is?”

“Isn’t that your job to know? Look I have better things to do that sit here and be interrogated, like homework or the dishes. If I see him I’ll let him know you can’t find him. This wizard can’t help you anymore than that, Oz has spoken.” And with that Allan hung up.

“What a strange kid.” Mike mumbled slightly insulted at the treatment he’d gotten.

 

“Well?” Axl asked almost as soon as Mike came back into the living room, he’d taken the phone into the bedroom to make the call.

“Allan says he’s not at his place and that he hasn’t seen him today.”

“But then where is he?” Axl wanted to know.

“I don’t know buddy, but I’m sure he’s alright. Now did you do your homework?”

“No, but...”

“No but’s, you’ll go do your homework now and then it’s about bed time for you. I’m sure Anders will be here tomorrow after school at the latest.” Mike reassured Axl with a smile and a pad on the shoulder as he sent him off to fetch his homework. 

It was true that Anders had done the disappearing act before, and that it had actually lasted two days once or twice before, but that had been when they still lived in Norsewood. When the only place Anders could and would go to ‘get away’ was their neighbours place or down to the little harbour area where they ran the Viking tour. None of those places presented any danger, because Old Pete was fonder of Anders than of any other human and the most dangerous thing that could happen to Anders at the docks was that he’d fall in, which was very little danger indeed as he swam like a fish.

Here though? Here there were a shit load of things that could go wrong and could be dangerous. 

Anders could attract trouble like a zoo attracted flies when he wanted to, and he’d been in quite the mood when he’d stormed out yesterday... Images of his brother heading to the shadier parts of town flashed through his head and he made up his mind.

“I’m going for a drive, don’t wait up.” Mike announced and had grasped his keys and closed the door behind him before anyone could register what he’d said.

 

***********

 

Allan hadn’t lied to Mike when he told him he hadn’t seen Anders today.

Well not really anyway.

Because it had still been night when he and Anders had said their farewells.

Anders had borrowed Allan’s dad’s pickup to get where he was going, Allan’s dad was a bit of an odd ball and it was hardly the first time Allan or even Allan’s friends had borrowed the old vehicle for a day or two. Allan’s dad had grown up on a farm himself and saw nothing wrong with a couple of fourteen year olds driving around as long as they obeyed the rules of traffic and didn’t get caught driving the old thing. All Anders had to do was call Allan and tell him where he’d left the truck once he was done with it.

So while none of the others had seen Anders, Anders himself had seen them leave for the day, and if he’d had any doubt about his decision, the fact that all of them just carried on as normal when he’d not been heard from in over twelve hours that had cemented it.

He’d used his keys to let himself in and quickly dug out the bag he’d had ready for years for just this occasion. He pulled out his VHS cassettes of ‘Easy Money’, ‘Smart Money’, ‘Other People’s Money’ and ‘ An Indecent Proposal’ with a bit of wiggling pulled out the envelope he’d hidden in between the double cover he’d put in the cassettes. 

Anders have been putting money aside for as long as he’s been getting any form of allowance or making money on odd jobs and his paper route. Sure most of it has gone into the ‘official’ piggy bank and later the bank account Mike had helped him open but in the back of his mind Anders has always known today would come and that he might not be able to get to any money in a bank so he’s kept a good portion here and made sure they were large bills so they didn’t take up much space but would still stretch far. That prudence means that there’s quite a bit of money in those four envelopes.

Sticking the envelopes in his inner pocket he’s done with the practical, he can leave now. But he does feel he owes it to those that care to say goodbye....

He rests his hand on the glass of the aquarium and when the fish swim over he smiles a bitter smile.

“I’ll miss you guys. But I’m sure Ty will look after you, he’d never be cruel to an animal. Bye.”

And with that he walks out, leaving this place that has never felt like home behind him with a sort of fore knowledge that he will never set foot in this house again.

He feels no remorse leaving this way, he’d considered writing long letter explaining everything but what good would that do? 

How would it help them if he explained how much worse and often he and Val fought when the others weren’t there? How she constantly belittled him and sought to exclude him at every turn? How he could only accept is as his due when no one seemed to think it strange that Val had a different set of rules and parameters for everything that concerned or involved Anders? How would it help them that he told them this when surely they must know since it was there for all of them to see or even hear?

How would it help them to know that Anders didn’t know what to do with himself since first Mike had come back and then Val had moved in and both had taken most of the responsibilities away that Anders had been dealing with since mum died, and some that he’d been dealing with his whole life it seemed? That they had in fact decided to treat him like a young child when not only was he in fact a teenager but he’d been an ‘acting’ adult for over three years now? Going from being able to decide everything for yourself, even if you had responsibilities to consider, and then going to having to ask permission for going to a friend’s house, to watch tv or even to make yourself a sandwich? That was damn near impossible and Anders had actually felt he’d been doing a damn fine job of not letting his frustration with the whole deal show more than it did.

How would it help them to know that he felt like Axl had forgotten he existed most days except for when he needed help with homework or wanted someone old enough to rent movies for him and Zeb? That he missed hearing Axl prattle along about anything and everything when he’d follow Anders around the house as he’d done his chores? How he’d missed their bedtime stories that Val had taken over the minute she’d moved in?

How would it help them to know that Anders missed the solitude of the country so much even a park felt like a little piece of heaven? That as much as Anders was a social person and as much as he loved Ty and loved spending time with him, and he Did love Ty, he was being suffocated having to share a room and not having anywhere or anytime where he could just be himself?

How would it help them to know that Anders had gotten to a point where a kind word from Mike that didn’t fall in a social gathering or out in public made him suspicious and uneasy? That the days where Mike didn’t have something to scold him about or blame him for still didn’t make him feel better, because then he most likely wouldn’t speak to him at all? 

How would it help them if he told them that all he really wanted was a hug, a kind word and then a chance to breathe and be himself without anyone blaming him for it?

No that wouldn’t help them.

At best it would make them sad at worst they wouldn’t care.

So instead Allan will send a short note, merely explaining to his brothers that he loves them, that he’ll miss them, that he’s sure they will be much happier without him anyway and that he wishes them all the best in their lives.

 

***********

 

As he drove along he debated if he should call the cops of use Ullr to track his brother.

He did not want to use Ullr. Last time had been disastrous, and he didn’t want that bad luck to backfire on anyone. Least of all his already hurting brother. No Mike didn’t want to take that chance.

On the other hand if he called the cops, it went on record and hell they might have to explain a great deal. Like where the hell their mother and father were? ‘Oh them, well mum went into the forest to become a tree and dad’ buggered off to sail the ocean blue not long after that’, no that really didn’t sound good. And how the hell would he explain the lack of any death certificate on his mum? Or even an accident report of any kind? 

Technically Mike had no right to his brothers, and if the cops suspected any foul play they were well within their rights to take the kids away from him.

No Mike couldn’t let that happen.

Which meant....

“Damn it Anders, why did you have to make me do this?” Mike cursed, but even as he did he let Ullr flow freely and concentrated on the image of his brother.

Strangely he didn’t get as clear a hit as he’d expected. He’d remembered all his brothers as very clear very bright ‘pings’ on Ullr’r radar from when he’d used it daily to check up on them when he was out with Rob and Val. Now Anders just gave of a wage sort of ‘that way-wave’ instead of clear directions.

It didn’t feel quite right but Mike put it down to not having used Ullr at all for so long.

So he followed the sense of ‘North-West’ to the best of his ability.

When he passed Kaukapakapa he shook his head at his brothers stubbornness.

When he passed Dargaville he was impressed and wondered who had given Anders a lift.

But when the headlights shone on the sign for Opononi and Ullr still said ‘North-West’ he could no longer pretend he wasn’t worried.

 

Though nothing would ever come close to the feeling of despair he felt when he stood at Cape Regina, the very most North-Westerly he could get and felt a brief tug on the trace he had on his brother and then the feeling of him faded completely.

“No.” Mike whispered hoarsely. “No.”

But there was no denying it.

Anders was gone.

 

*****

 

Anders wakes from his slumber with a start.

It feels as if someone had pulled on him, but looking around he’s all alone.

His head is a bit heavy with a slight cold, but that’s all the effect so far of spending hours in the cold and rain, so Anders is not complaining, far from it.

Sitting up Anders feels that strange tugging sensation again, but it’s faint and with one last tug that is really more like a cares it stops... 

Stretching he gets up and walks to the railing to look out over the ocean as the sun slowly starts rising as the ship he’s on sails towards distant shores, he dig’s into his pocket and takes out both his passports.   
Yes both of them, because curtsey of Allan’s cousins wicked computer skills and a good bit of money he’s no longer just ‘Anders Johnson’ but instead, as Allan had suggested in a joking mood, he’s now also ‘Anders Freeman’. 

Anders Johnson looks clean, orderly, sad and sort of grey in pass photo.

Anders Freeman on the other hand looks slightly rumpled but he’s smiling and fairly glowing with anticipation for what’s in store for him.

With a flick of the wrist Anders tosses his old passport over the railing and pockets the new one.

And as he watches the old one disappear into the depths Anders smiles and for the first time in maybe forever feels like he might just have a future after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment and review, it makes my day.  
> Cheers Aramir


End file.
